


It's beautiful. You are beautiful

by Ursar



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Animal Abuse, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 19:17:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14243991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ursar/pseuds/Ursar
Summary: Hannibal and Will learn to redefine their boundaries. Post-fall.





	It's beautiful. You are beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> For Milla. Sorry, it's probably so OOC, mate, but hear me out - people chang. And use simple English to communicate :D

Hannibal was morphing in front of him. The slithering snake, the wolf in sheep's clothing, a shadow of the ravenstag...  
Will hated it. Not only did Hannibal look different - but Will did not care that much about his appearance as other... things.   
"I did not cross the ocean to be with "Marcus", Hannibal," he said, voice thick. "Let me see you again."  
Hannibal put his cutlery down. "I thought this was to be the end of it."  
"I know. I know. I don't want... I don't want to be caught again, but... "  
"It sounds as though you have been thinking about it."  
"... I figured there should be some... rules."

And so there were. The safety of their current home was not to be compromised; the sanctity of their unity was not to be tainted with pettiness or revenge, not anymore; and human life was not to be taken. Lightly.

\---

They were walking in the woods. The nature here was so much wilder than back in the states. Wildlife remained shy and alert.  
"Just like you," Hannibal mused. After a pregnant pause, he added. "Do you miss home?"  
"I thought you knew that home is not a place. My home is by your side."  
Hannibal looked pleased by this, but his expression shifted- eyes darted back and forth, nostrils flaring. They both stpped.  
Will sniffed the warm air too. It smelled of yesteryear’s autumn leaves, recent rain and metal. "Blood?"  
Hannibal nodded. "That way."  
They followed the odour to a thick patch of bushes. Its thorns scratched their faces and hands, but eventually let them pass. As the space opened, the ground sloped sharply down into a ravine. They both stepped to the edge. On the bottom of the ravine was the source of the bittersweet taste in their mouths.  
"Can he be helped?" Will asked.  
"Hard to tell from a distance," Hannibal was already sliding down the slope, soil and dirt and stones rolling from under his shoes. Will fllowed.  
On the bottom of the ravine laid a curled up bundle of fur, blod and bones. The fur used to be a different color, but the dried blood and mud made it all grey and brown. The dog raised its head and Hannibal stopped in his tracks.  
"I could use some assistance in approaching him," he said, and Will nodded.  
"Hey, friend. Don't be afraid, we've come to help you. Yes, even Hannibal… "  
"Couldn't you resist?"  
The corners of Will's mouth quirked up as he continued to talk to the animal, one step at a time. Eventually, he could reach out a let him.. her sniff his hand. The dog did so, though she did not wag her tail as dogs would around him.  
"It seems like most of those wounds are old, just re-opened scabs," Will said.   
"She is not the source," Hannibal concluded and backed off while Will kept inching towards the dog.  
A while later, he could finally put the belt around her snout - the dog was not very pleased about it, and kept pawing at the imrpovized muzzle. Will was doing his best to sooth her. At that point, Hannibal reappeared, his face seemingly stoic, but Will knew more than saw the shadow over features.  
"She had puppies," he said.  
Will's fists clenched, and he felt, as if Hannibal’s body radiated some sort of detectable force, that Hannibal moved to stand just behind him. There was no touch, but the proximity was comforting. On a whim, Will leaned back, balancing on the toes as he was crouching, and rested his head against Hannibal's hip. He could feel Hannibal's hand twitch, then cautiously reach out to comb through his hair. Once. Enough.   
Will looked at Hannibal over his shoulder.  
"She needs a vet."  
Hannibal nodded and helped Will prop the dog on his jacket so that they could carry it out of the woods.

“Are we to keep the dog?” Hannibal asked on the drive from the vet. Will turned to him - Hannibal's eyes flickered to him, but then remained fixed on the road.  
"We don't have to. We don't have to do this," Will answered.  
"It didn't work out with a child. Perhaps a dog would be sutiable then."  
Will flinched. "Do not compare the dog to… ," he paused. "I do want to keep her."  
"Did you name her?"  
Will nodded. "Lucy."  
"Lucy it is. I suppose we better fetch some supplies, then."

A few weeks have passed.  
Will - and occasionaly Hannibal - visited Lucy at the veterinarian. She was recovering well, gaining weight, showed no sign of parasites or mange, though her attitude was still very melancholic.  
"Do you think dogs recognize each other as kin?" Will asked over dinner.  
"Are you asking whether I think she knows what happened to her young ones?" Hannibal mused. "Perhaps."  
"And what have you been thinking about?"  
"I have been thinking about how a dog might miss the hand that beat it. The dog might even lick the hand, as the saying goes. I wonder, Will... what would you do to the man who did it? How would you punish him? If at all?"  
Will leaned back in his chair. He smiled. "As I am quite sure this person is unspeakably rude to those who he sees as inferior - and I think he would do the mistak of considering you as such - I would simply arrange a meeting to introduce you."

Later, when they were rinsing the plates, Hannibal approached Will, standing as close as he could without touching his back. Will absent-mindedly stared ahead, mechanically repeating the same movement.  
"Do you mind this?" Hannibal breathed, voice lower and quieter than usual.  
Will's matched his when he said: "Not at all," and leaned back into the warmth behind him.

\---  
"I found him," Will said one day when Hannibal came back from the town. "I kept asking around and you know how it is in the village, you know everything about everybody."  
"We might have to consider moving then," Hannibal retorted, raising an eyebrow.  
Will gave him an unimpressed look at that and cntinued. "The man's name is Otto Something. He used to be this rich, spoiled brat, and obviously landed with the wrong party. The police were called several times, he was at re-hab at least once. His girlfriend left him, apparently he was physically and verbally abusive."  
"It does seem like he could be our man."  
"There is nobody else, Hannibal."  
"Did you ask about the dog?"  
"He was given a dog by his friend, apparently with the best intntions - she was hoping he would get his shit together if he had something to care for, but the neighbours haven't seen or heard her in a while."  
Hannibal’s eyes hinted at a smile. "So how do you want to do this?"

The star-set sky was beautiful in the summer. Will, awakened by one of his remaining nghtmares, sat on the porch, on a comfortable bench hand-made by the elderly man who sold them the cottage. It was far enough from the village that deer would come right to their backyard. With a cup of coffee each mrning, and a bottle of beer every evning, Will would sit there, listening to the birds, to wind in the trees, watching the sun rise and set.  
The door creaked open, the sound just loud enough for the deer to look up and then go back grazing. Will himself looked over his shoulder at Hannibal. With hair pulled into a ponytail, in jeans and a t-shirt, he really lookd like a lab assitant.  
“I will see you later.”  
Will nodded.  
Hannibal stopped by the bench and looked into the distance. The hill sloped down towards the more level terrain, and in clear weather, they could see far. Further than Will saw into their future, anyway.  
"I will prepare everything... for later," Will said.  
Hannibal looked at him, meeting his gaze. "We could still report it to the-"  
"Hannibal," Will grasped at the other man's forearm without even thinking about it. "I told you I want to see you. I am not doing this just because of what he did, but because... because... "  
Hannibal just leaned down and cupped his cheek. "I understand. Thank you, Will. In any case."  
"Perhaps in time... ," Will tried to say.  
"Perhaps. It does not matter to me. Y-you matter to me."  
Will spent the dy thinking about it. The way Hannibal's voice caught, but did not betray any sign of dishonesty or hesitation.  
This was nw and raw in their relationship.  
But he had work to do. Unlike Hannibal, Will hadn't found a job, yet. He was thinking now that they were just waiting for Lucy to come home with them, he could run an animal shelter. It wouldn't be that different than what he did before, and to his surprise, Hannibal didn't object. In fact, it seemed like he could be quite fond of some dogs, at least. Or maybe he was just fond of Will.  
The thought made him smile absent-mindedly while he was covering the floor of their cellar with cut up plastic bags, making sure not a drop of blood would slip through the protective layer onto the ground.

\---

Finally. They were waiting for the sound of a car, but instead, heavy and uncoordinated footsteps were approaching the shack.  
Will could tell that Hannibal found it distasteful by the way he tensed up. What hunt was it, if their prey was already weakened?  
This mment was not one for empty words though, and they didn't even have to look at each other to know they were going through with their plan. Not that they didn't look at each other. It just wasn't out of necessity. Though at that point, even that was debatable.  
Will moved, crouching low, finding the path of the least resistance in the unkempt and flourishing bushes and grss of the garden. He stopped on the edge of the vegetation, though he doubted the man approaching them would pay any attention or that he could even see him, an unmoving shadow with endless patience.  
The man was tall, taller than Hannibal even, and much more muscular than either of them. However his muscles were so bulging it was clear he didn't gain them through hard manual labor or martial arts training. His step was hard, and he swang away from the path and into the tall grss more foten than not. There were jingling keys in his hand, and every time he staggered and the metal clanked, the man would let out a loud string of curses. And not very inventive ones, at that. Will felt himself smirk. Hannibal will hate that.  
The man turned on what could have been considered a driveway a few years ago.  
The man's bright t-shirt stood out against the drkness as he walked to unlock the door.  
"Otto," the man startled, but even in his drunken stupor turned around in one swift mtion as he heard Hannibal's voice from behind him.  
Hannibal stood there like a statue, not approaching, hand turned with his palms up towards Otto, outstretched a little - like a smile of a wolf, Will knew this false gesture of friendship offering. It seemed like even Otto didn't fall for it, as the man drew something from his pocket - a click and a blade shone it the moonlight. Will was already on the move, before the keys Otto dropped touched the ground.  
He had his back turned to him, facing Hannibal. "Stay where you are. Who the hell are you?!"  
"I am Marcus, me and my husband moved in a few weeks ago."  
"Huh? Wha- hey, watch it, I said stay away from me you fa-"  
Will decided that was the sentence the man didn't want to finish and hit him in the nck.

"He is regaining conciousness," Will said, and looked up at Hannibal.  
In the dimly lit room covered by plastic - including the chairs - Hannibal circling their prey reminded Will of a wolf circling its prey once again. He felt curious eyes of the ravenstag on his back, its warm breath ruffling the tips of his hair; an old friend visiting.  
The tied up man in front of them stirred, then his eyes flew open and he jerked on his ties. "What the fuck is this?!"  
"It seems like he has sobered up a bit," Will added. The man's eyes flickered between him, Hannibal, and the room.  
"The fuck do you maniacs think you are doing?!" Otto snarled. "Where are my clothes? If this is some sort of a prank, I swear to-"  
"I assure you, this is not a prank."   
Otto's eyes went wide. "What do you want to do to me? Hey, I asked you a question! ASNWER ME!" He struggled against the ties. And just as Hannibal and WIll turned their backs on him, he freed his hands.  
Will was warned only by the movement of a shadow. Time felt slw as he and Hannibal turned around.  
The first attack didn't hit him, a fist flew past his face as he leaned back, having to catch on the plastic covered wall behind him. The other attack came from down below, and it caught him in the side. He dobled over and another blow landed on his back. Then Hannibal stepped in, finaly managing to pry the man off of him. He ducked as Otto' attention turned to him.  
Will staggered to his feet, looking around. They had a fw tools - he grabbed an axe they had prepared there, and swung low towards Otto's knees. He managed to hit one. The roar of the man mixed with the music of his beating heart. His and Hannibal's eyes linked. The man, although down on one knee, latched out, proppeling himself with the leg not damaged, and his tackle sent Hannibal to the ground. The man settled on top of him and pummeled onto him. Will swung with the axe again, this time missing the man's haed, only hitting a shoulder. It seems to be enough to dsitract him as he screamed and rolled away, the axe torn out of Will's hands and sen scattering.  
Hannibal was on the ground, bloodied, but it seemed like he managed to protect himself for the most part.  
Will was enraged nonethelss. Aftr ensuring Hannibal can handle himself, he walked in lng strides towards Otto. The man was crouching in the corner, teeth bared like an animal. He tried to swap WiIll's hand away and trip him over, but Will deflected him and plucked his fingers into Otto's eyes.

 

The nxt time he woke up, he was silent.  
"It seems that our guest has finally startd to learn some manners," Hannibal mused. Will reciprociated his small smile.  
"The blood looks good on you."  
Hannibal's smile grew a fragment wider.  
The conversation was interrupted by a sob.  
Will frowned, turning around to their prey. Otto's hed hang low, his shoulders drawn up subconciously to protect himself, fingers wiggling, holding onto the ties and duck tape, but no lnger trying to break them. Will gazed over his shoulder at Hannibal, intrigued, and walked over to stand before the man.  
Otto, hearing the sound of footsteps, seemed to curl into himself, bracing for an impact. It never came. Will crouched down in front of his chair, looking up at his ruined face, nw not even resembling a human. In his opinion, it was just as well - the mask was taken off, and there was littl humanity to this man. Prior to nw there was, at least.  
"P-please. I do-don't know who you are, b-but whatever it is I did.... I don't... like this... ," to his credit, he tried to hold it in.  
"Why ask for forgivness now? For the deeds you have done, you deserve a punishment and I think you know it," Hannibal spoke softly.  
"I know. I never-never said I was a saint. But I did try, I swear! I tried to be a good son, and brother, and husband, but... "  
"But there was something in you that made in impossible. We know. That is not an excuse," Will said, mind tuning into Otto's.  
"It's not, I-I know. But I was gonna go gt help. I have an appointment scheduled. I was trying to gt things in order with my wife."  
"What about the dog?"  
Unseeing eyes snapped towards Hannibal.  
"I didn't know what to do with the young ones. And she broke off the chain, climbed through the fence and wire and just ran off dys ago. I did find her, but she wouldn't let me catch her."  
"Yeah, no wonder," Will scoffed.  
"So you guys are like, P-PETA or something? Because I swear she was in that state when I got her, she has some sort of digestive… something."  
"All it took to figure out was a trip to the vet."  
"I don’t have the money!"  
"You stink of alcohol. Cheap, yeah, but still. You could have given her up." Silence. Will answered himself. "But it never occured to you. You latched onto every chance you gt to cling to who you pretended to be."  
"The dog was all I had left. I didn't want to hurt her."  
"Do you believe him, Will?"   
"It's not like I have much choice. He is telling the truth."  
Hannibal hummed and Will realized they are standing closr to each other than it was really necessary to have a private conversation. Not that he cared much. "What would you have us do with him, then?"  
"You saying our plans are off the table? Just because he confessed? Hannibal… "  
"I see in your eyes, Will, that you feel some level of compassion for this man. I do not judge you for it. I merely wish to know what you want."  
"What do you think I want?" Will said without thinking, pulled into Hannibal's warmth. Their bodies were almost touching nw.  
"I think you want to give him anothr chance, just like you have given us anothr chance," Hannibal leaned towards him, his mouth next to Will's ear. Will rested his forehed against Hannibal’s. "I think you see something of yourself or me in him, and you want to let him go, because he is fragile, and you are afraid of breaking him."  
"Should I worry about it?"  
"Breaking? No. Just like scars, some damage hardens the material."  
"Re-opening some wounds can be healthy," Will offered.  
"Or unhealthy. It depends on a lot of factors. How deep does the wound run? How well healed is it? Is it clean or does it need cleaning?"  
Will stepped away from Hannibal. "But he, he is a wound that will never heal."

They showed him the mercy of killing him before working on their art. Will vaguely remembered Hannibal's eyes and the reflection of the dim light in them as his own hands closed around the man's nck to crush the life out of him.  
They opened him, dissected him, showing the world they tried to understand, their curiosity, and in the end, their forgivness.  
Most of them were just too territorial, possessive, to tolerate the nerness of another.  
He and Hannibal were clearly a rare exception.  
Will didn't think he ever felt so true, than in the mment he and Hannibal stood side by side after they finished their masterpiece.  
Will has become the truth of himself. And judging by Hannibal subtle smile, he was seen - and welcomed.

\---

The reports of a missing person were easy to deal with by leaving Otto’s car sunk in the river. They considered leaving the corpse in there, but it was easier and more practical to let the law enforcment believe the water took it.  
Instead, they feaste. And celebrated the arrival of Lucy.  
With her now white, fluffly coat, nobody even recognized the dog that used to be kept by Otto. Hannibal was delighted by her intelligence and loyalty. Will was delighted by seeing him sit in the garden, reading or drawing, talking to Lucy.  
To be honest, there was a small discomfort in him as he saw her lying down next to him.  
"Will," Hannibal said in a way of greeting, and a tail drummed against the ground, echoing the sentiment in Hannibal's voice. Will smiled despite the uneasiness still clenching onto his core. He didn't know what to say, so he just reached down to pet Lucy, handing the bottle of beer to Hannibal with his other hand.  
Hannibal's fingers felt more grounding than anything in his life. "What is troubling you? No, don't deny it Will, you brought me beer - just talk to me." Hannibal closed the book, set it aside and sat upright. He did not let go of Will’s hand.  
His undivided attention was like a warm blanket on a winter mrning. Heavy, it kept him warm. "I am tired of denying. Myself. You. Yourself."  
Hannibal's eyes lit up with interest. "But?"  
"But," Will sighed, hating the soft tremor in his voice, "I am not making the same mistke twice. I did pretend and lie to myself before, and it landed both of us behind bars. So if I am not going to deny anything aynmore, I need you to tell me that you are not going to... "  
"I am not going to hurt you, Will." Will left out a long breat. "It was never in my interest, I see that nw as clearly as I see you. It was never in your interest."  
"I do not have much regrets," Will laughed a little.  
"Considering the results, neither do I," Hannibal admitted. "Other than me having to say this - I want you to trust me, Will. One more time. I need you to give me another chance."  
Will smiled and leaned forward. "You know you have it."  
As the sun was stting down, Will realized, sitting between Lucy and Hannibal, occasionaly stealing a touch, a word, a glance, watching the deer graze, just how beautiful the red spilled in the sky was, and how ugly the world would be without it. It foretold the arrival of drkness that was nw his home. No, not his. Their.


End file.
